New Delhi, April 4
The nationwide indefinite strike called by the State Bank of India Staff Association and Officers' Association continued for the second day today, causing inconvenience to lakhs of customers. The government has, however, ruled out to entertain their demand of enhancing pension, claiming it would lead to similar demands by staff of other banks.
The SBI unions and management representatives are scheduled to meet tomorrow for conciliation talks.
With the government taking tough stand and following Delhi High Court restraining the employees from staging protests within 500 metres of any of the bank premises, no demonstration was staged today near any of the SBI branch.
The Finance Ministry sources have claimed that the government would not bow before the striking employees as it would encourage employees of other banks also to make such demand.
The government has even asked the state governments to switch over to other PSU banks for their treasury operations as per the RBI rules.
Meanwhile, striking employees have expressed their readiness for talks. “We are willing to negotiate on our demand of 50 per cent of last drawn salary as pension, but the government should call us for talks,” said All India SBI Officers Federation vice-president
T. N. Goel.
The unions have claimed that in 2003, the RBI had cleared their demand of enhanced pension, but response has not come yet from the government side.
The employees have been demanding an upward revision of
